UNRWA Launches an Appeal to assist the Palestine Refugees Affected by the Earthquake in Syria

Beirut (ST) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) launched an updated flash appeal for 16.2 million U.S. dollars to meet the humanitarian and early recovery needs of Palestinian refugees who were affected by the earthquakes in Syria and Lebanon.

According to the statement, UNRWA provided emergency relief services, including health, psychosocial, and mental health care, food and cash assistance, non-food items, and rental subsidies and housing to Palestinian refugees in Aleppo and Lattakia in the wake of the quakes.

The earthquake also caused damage to already weak housing and infrastructure in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, including medical and educational facilities and water towers, it added.

“This updated flash appeal will enable UNRWA to support affected Palestinian refugees with cash and non-food items until August 2023. The appeal also seeks funding for the rehabilitation of UNRWA premises and homes of Palestinian refugees that were destroyed or damaged by the earthquakes,” it said.

For his part, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said: “The earthquakes and their aftershocks caused massive suffering to the people in Northern Syria and to Palestinian refugees”.

He noted that the UNRWA was able to respond to their most urgent need for safety and assistance on the first day, as there were about 700 people who slept in the Agency’s school in Lattakia.

Najla Khoury